Means foe believing cylinders of water of condensation



(No Model.)

G. H. POOR.

MEANS FOR RELIEVING CYLINDERS OF WATER OP GONDENSATION. No. 318,022. Patented May l9jl885,

- N. PETERS. PhokwLithognphur, wumn m, nc.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. POOR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BRAKE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR RELIEVING CYLINDERS OF WATER F CONDENSATION.

KEEPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,022, dated May 19, 1885.

Application filed December 9, 1884.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. POOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Relieving Cylinders of the \Vater of Condensation; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyro ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in sec tion, of a cylinder supplied with devices embodying my invention and arranged for actuating the brake mechanism of a locomotive.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the cylinder. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View of one of the" pistons. Fig. 5 is an end or face view of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an automatic drip-valve for the cylinder. Fig. 7 is a transverse View of the stem of the valve on the line 00 m, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the valve-shell. Fig. 9 is an end view of the cylinder and thepipeleading from drip-valve H to one side of the track.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construct-ion of devices for relieving cylinders of the'water of 0 condensation, and of the pistons employed so as to facilitate the operation of the dri p-valves, and, though generally applicable to steamcylinders or others where condensation within the cylinder occurs, is of special value in horizontal cylinders used in exposed positions where the condensation is considerable-as, for instance, the cylinders employed in operating locomotive and other brakes.

The main feature of the invention embraces 40 a valve seated by fluid-pressure and lifted by spring or equivalent pressure, combined with a cylinder and opening into the same, and impacting-pistons, one of which has on its face a projection, so as to preserve a steam or drip 4 5 passage coincident with the discharge-port and steam-supply to facilitate the discharge of the water of condensation, as well as assure the quick action of the valve when fluidpressure is admitted to the cylinder to operate the pistons thereof.

, cal or coiled spring, 71 which acts on the valve (No model There are also minor novel features of construction, which will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A A represent the drive wheels of a locomotive; B B, the frames; 0 C, angle-irons mounted on the frame B for the attachment of hangers D D, by which brakcheads E E are suspended; L L, piston-rods, and M M'push-bars for actuating the brakeheads.

The above devices, which form no part of the present invention,will be found more fully 6 5 described in an application filed by me August 4, 1884-, Serial No. 139,589, and here shown only for the purpose of indicating one place where the present invention can be applied with special advantage.

G indicates a cylinder with which the devices embodying my invention may be ap plied, said cylinder having grooves or dripchannels g on its inner surface near the outer ends, and a bracket-flange, g, for securin it 7 5 to the bracket F or other point of support. This cylinder is provided at its middle with a supply-pipe, I, for the admission of steam or other fluid pressure, and an eduction or drip port, which is controlled by an automatic So valve, H, the preferred construction of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth. The steam-induction and the drip ports are preferably in line, as shown in the drawings.

The drip-valve H has a cylindrical shell, h, S 5 threaded above, so as to be screwed into the port of the cylinder, and below, so as to receive a short pipe, which will carry the drip to one side of the median line of the cylinder. This construction is of peculiar advantage in locomotive-brake cylinders, as the drip, which otherwise would fall on the rail or track, is discharged to one side thereof.

Arranged to seat on the upper end of shell h is valve h, having a stem, h which projects centrally through the shell, and is secured by a cotter, h.

lVithin the shell, and acting on the valve h, the stem h of which it surrounds, is a heli- TOO so as to force it off its seat when the valve is relieved of the pressure of steam in cylinder G. The stem If is of such diameter as to leave a passage through the shell for water from cylinder G, and the lower end of the shell can have a series of V-shaped slots or openings, 7L5, for like purposes. The stem h just below the valve 71, is provided with radial wings h", which serve to center the valve and its stem with the shell without obstructing the flow of the discharge or water of condensation.

With the cylinder G, especially where used for applying brakes, two pistons, K, are employed, and one or both of said pistons are provided with projections which prevent the entire faces of the pistons from coming in contact, thus preserving a channel or way between the pistons for the entrance of steam and the flow of the water of condensation.

The construction is preferably that shown in the drawings, wherein the pistons are hollow cylinders having sockets k for the reception of the ends of the piston-rods, the inner face of each piston having a projection, In, in the form of a truncated cone, at the base of which is the recess or seat for the packingrings k, and surrounding which is a follower, It", for holding the rings in place.

The construction being substantially as before specified, will operate as follows: Steam being admitted to the cylinder G through pipe I will first fill the channel between the pistons and force the drip-valve 71 down on its seat, then acting on the heads of the pistons will force them out with uniform motion. Vhen the steam or other pressure is withdrawn from cylinder G, or sufficiently reduced therein to allow the spring h* of the drip-valve to operate, the valve h will be lifted off its seat, thus opening an exhaust for any steam which may remain between the pistons, and also a dripescape for any water of condensation. As the pistons move toward each other, the faces of the truncated cones will meet, thus arresting further inward movement and forming an annular steamway leading to the automatic valve, which facilitates the escape of the wa ter of condensation, and also permits an unobstructed application of the steam-pressure to the valve to seat the same at the instant the force is applied to the pistons.

It is evident that a counterbalanced or weighted lever might be substituted for the spring h to lift the valve h when the pressure that seated it was lessened or removed, and the same would be the equivalent of the spring, and I wish it so understood in the claims; but it'is evident that such a construction has its disadvantages, and is not as desirable as the one shown. I

I do not herein claim the construction of the cylinder with its ribbed and filleted brack et-flange, or the drip-grooves on its inner surface; neither do I herein claim a piston having a truncated conical projection on its face, as the same forms the subject-matter of an application of even date herewith, Serial No. 149,873.

Having thus described the nature, operation, and advantages of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent; 1s

1. The eombination,with a cylinder having an automatic steam-seateddrip-valve, of two opposite and impacting pistons, one of which has a projection on its face to form a steamway leading to the drip valve, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, in an automatic dripvalve, of the shell lb, having the V-slots at its lower end, the valve having the radial wings on its stem, and the spiral spring arranged within the shell and encircling the valve-stem, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of November, 188i.

GEORGE H. POOR.

Witnesses:

E. B. LEIGH, H. A. VAHLERS. 

